The IMA report further mentioned that the liquid oxygen supplier had not been paid his dues since the last 5-6 months. It further said that the hospital was handling these cases and other critically ill patients much more than its capacity.

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), in its report, has said that there was indeed an interruption of oxygen supply on August 10 that led to death of children at Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur.

The report further mentioned that the liquid oxygen supplier had not been paid his dues since the last 5-6 months. It further said that the hospital was handling these cases and other critically ill patients much more than its capacity.

“There is no facility in Gorakhpur and nearby districts to manage encephalitis. There is a lack of staff – pediatricians, nurses and other paramedical staff – in PHCs/CHCs,” it reported.

The report further stated that no alert was issued by the hospital administration regarding shortage of oxygen. The treating doctors, it added, should have been alerted seven days before the fresh oxygen supply was not received.

The cleanliness of the hospital was also questioned and the IMA panel found dogs and rats in the hospital, which was not acceptable. According to the IMA, “although there is no evidence of medical clinical negligence against Dr Rajiv Mishra and Dr Kafeel Khan, prima facie it appears that a case of administrative negligence against them cannot be ruled out. Hence, administrative inquiry and action may be taken against them.”

The scope of the Committee was to only examine the working of the doctors as other issues such as lack of oxygen, inadequate staff and any structural deficiency were being investigated by the Chief Secy, UP Govt.

The IMA committee had asked many doctors to appear before it to present their case.

Citing airlifting and green corridors being created for emergency situations, the IMA panel recommended a state policy for airlifting critical patients in a timely manner to nearby best facilities.

“All patients denied treatment at government hospital must be reimbursed for the cost of the treatment in the private sector at pre-defined rates,” the report suggested.

The report also recommended all hospitals to have back up on one-week supply of essential drugs, investigations and oxygen. The NABH accreditation should be extended to government hospitals too, the IMA report suggested. The report also adovated advance payment (or timely payment) for all health care services.

Saying it was important to make a distinction between clinical medical negligence and administrative negligence, the report further recommended that essential drugs and investigations, not non-essential drugs and tests, should constitute the bulk of the expenditure of the allocated budget to reduce cost of treatment.